2014 ACA Enrollment Tips (Agents Helping Agents)

[Sherota1]

Got this in an email today, Yea right. Doesn't sound like it has been working a they describe: http://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Programs-a...oads/agent-broker-consumer-tips-12-1-2013.pdf

Then there's this: Insurance agents feeling left out of 'Obamacare' | LifeHealthPro

Excellent information.

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Allen, thanks for starting this thread. This is very valuable "where the rubber meets the road" type of information.

I agree with Ann thenka Allen and thanks everyone so far for stating on point with the subject. I'm on page one but found many things that will help me the rest of this year and especially into 2014.

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Here is something I created to send to clients/prospects to get them started before we apply. It is a walk thru for creating an account. You will need to edit it with your info if you decide to use it. After that, just save it as a pdf from word so it's smaller to attach on an email. It will knock about 10 minutes off your appointment. (attachment was too large 1.6m due to pictures on word doc). The pdf is what it looks like. If you want a copy, email me at - rusty at mymedigapconsultant dot com and put "HC walkthrough" in the subject and I will reply with it.

I also use software called TimeTrade - Signup for Timetrade | TimeTrade (affiliate link - I get $4 if you try it 30 days). Professional version is $49/year, which is what I use. I love it. I set up my calendar with times I am available. Email the link to clients, they choose the time that's good for them.

Hope it helps someone.

Thanks Russell I made a start to finish Tutorial for my clients for Healthcare.gov. I like your idea too. Great way to save time with the tutorial instructions and with Time Trade. First time I heard of this service.

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Anyone try this new site yet? No habla espanol

https://www.cuidadodesalud.gov/es/

is that site even working? I tried it around November 20th and it was still referring us to the call center. I've only helped spanish clients in Maryland with at least one spouse who reads and writes English. I've only used the english application.

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Thank you for the reference to join.me. I am old school and have been hit by ID theft. How do you resolve giving someone access to your computer?
Thanks,
John

I've been using join.me. instead of having the client start the meeting I start the meeting and give the the code.Then I give them control of my screen and walk them through the process. You also have the option of having them start the meeting and then having them give you control of their screen. When the session is done if you share your screen clear the history/cache in your browsers. A suggestion from MD Health Connection. Works great. Saves time and money and allows me to meet with more people especially since I work in more than one state.

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I have a married couple's subsidy application approved. They want to group their household into two groups so they can apply for separate plans. They want the embedded hsa deductible instead of the aggregate for the same total premium. Healthcare.gov won't let us and keeps throwing up an error code. Has anyone been able to regroup family members of the same household?

I do not know if this applies to Healthcare.gov but in MD I was told that the subsidies would be based on the way the couple filed their taxes in 2013. If they filed jointly in 2013 they have to file jointly in 2014 or the IRS verification wouldn't not go through. Also if they choose to file seperately after filing jointly in 2013 they would not be eligible for a subsidy. The only option would be to file seperately in 2014, buy their policy off the exchange forfeiting their subsidy then in 2015 they could file seperately and would need to continue doing so indefinitely. I have one couple where the husband started a small business and owes taxes money. He and his wife agreed that they would file seperately starting this year so she would not be affected. They quailfy for and needs a subsidy on order to make ends meet. They have to choose between no insurance and a penalty or continuing to mingle funds to the possible detriment of the wife. This is the advise I was given. Has anyone heard anything differently?

 

[jeaton99]

ACA Eligibilty Wizard

I have been working on an ACA eligibility wizard for our insurance agency in Arkansas. It can be checkout at

eatonagency.com/new_wizard

There are about a dozen scenarios programmed. It has the entire healthcare.gov database downloaded for quoting premiums in all Federal Marketplace states. Would welcome additional scenarios and bug reports.

Thanks

Jimmy Eaton

 

[HealthGuy]

Sherota1 me thinks u are wrong...if a married couple files separately...no subsidy even for the spouse that needa it...period.

 

[houcoogster]

Sherota1 me thinks u are wrong...if a married couple files separately...no subsidy even for the spouse that needa it...period.

That's right no subsidy advanced or otherwise if you file separate.

Exception: Extenuating circumstances like a peace bond ect..

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Has anybody "removed" an application after a subsidy has been granted and if you did ....did you get another subsidy amount higher or lower or none?

I've got one that was split into 2 groups. One got it the other nada. Thanks

 

[rugerred]

That's right no subsidy advanced or otherwise if you file separate.

Exception: Extenuating circumstances like a peace bond ect..

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Has anybody "removed" an application after a subsidy has been granted and if you did ....did you get another subsidy amount higher or lower or none?

I've got one that was split into 2 groups. One got it the other nada. Thanks

I get that with kids in WI. I have also had it kick them to medicaid for 1 group.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy

 

[Sherota1]

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I do not know if this applies to Healthcare.gov but in MD I was told that the subsidies would be based on the way the couple filed their taxes in 2013. If they filed jointly in 2013 they have to file jointly in 2014 or the IRS verification wouldn't not go through. Also if they choose to file seperately after filing jointly in 2013 they would not be eligible for a subsidy. The only option would be to file seperately in 2014, buy their policy off the exchange forfeiting their subsidy then in 2015 they could file seperately and would need to continue doing so indefinitely. I have one couple where the husband started a small business and owes taxes money. He and his wife agreed that they would file seperately starting this year so she would not be affected. They quailfy for and needs a subsidy on order to make ends meet. They have to choose between no insurance and a penalty or continuing to mingle funds to the possible detriment of the wife. This is the advise I was given. Has anyone heard anything differently?[/QUOTE]
I waited to reply to any comments because I wanted to get your feedback. I was able to speak with someone from the health care exchange and also recevied an email stating that married coulpes must file seperately in 2014 inorder to be eligible for a subsidy. If they file seperately while being married in any year after the ACA is in effect they would not be eligible for any tax credits. There may be some exceptions in the future for people in long term seperation situations. I let them know what I was told so they could be aware of the information that is being given to people when they call in on the phones.

I also have found it to be a good idea to calculate the persons chance of getting a subsidy using a calculator such as the one on the www.kff.org/health-reform . Many people are getting disappointed when they look at charts where it seems that they are eligible for a subsidy only to find out in the end they do not qualify based on the benchmark rules which are rarely ever mentioned in the news. I had one family of 3 who where $21.000 under the limit to be eligible for a subsidy. At the end it continued to say that they were eligible for a subsidy along with cost sharing reductions. They are eligible based on income but ineligible based on the percentage of their income to the cost of the second higest cost silver plans. The KFF calculator will give you the percentage. also www.ehealthinsurance.com gives all of the retail prices for plans in your area before subsidies. It will also let you calculate your subsidy showing your customer if they would be eliglible for a subsidy. If they qualify they can go back and look at the plans with the subsidy calculated into the cost. You can do this directly at the ehealthinsurance site or sign up as an affiliate and get your own link or banner so if you direct a client there you will get compensated. I spoke to one of the agents there who said they still haven't been able to sign anyone up with subsidies yet until they get what they need from the exchanges. Up until late week the customer could only create an account on ehealthinsurance save their plan and request to be notified when they can submit it. He said they hope it will be ready in a few weeks for direct submission. I use it as a quick way to show the client prices and options in realtime. If they do not qualify for anything on the website the plan prices are excatly the same on ehealth. If they choose a plan from a company I'm appointed with I direct submit it to the company to avoid dealing with a third party company. That way they and I know that the application was sucessfully submitted.
Thank for your comments.

 

[LifeWorth]

if someone aged 25 is not working due to going to college full time, and receives a $1,500 check every month from parents to pay bills, does this count as income? If no, then the person obviously has to go on medicaid (parents dont want her in their plan). If it DOES count as income, then she can get a subsidy and buy insurance. Which is it?

 

[Yagents]

Wow, you are way behind.............almost malpractice type stuff. I suggest you spend a Life's Worth of time on the other threads in this forum.........as we have.

 

[AllenChicago]

March 27, 2014

TIP:

If you have an applicant whose current health coverage is expiring on (as an example) May 1, 2014, do NOT enter May 1st as the expiration date if you want the new plan to start on May 1st.

Healthcare.gov will assign the applicant a June 1st effective date.

If you're using the "carrier pathway" to enroll in a subsidized plan, the carrier (in my case BCBS-IL) will display "The Applicant is Not Eligible for Marketplace Coverage. Shop without a Tax-Credit instead."

Moral of the story. If a current plan is ending on the 1st of any given month and you want the new Subsidized plan to start immediately, choose the last day of the prior month as that plan's termination date.

(Example)
Today, when I deleted the applicant's original Marketplace/Subsidy application at HC.gov and re-applied from scratch, entering April 30, 2014 as current plan termination date, instead of May 1, 2014 as printed on their "advance notice of plan termination" letter, HC.gov correctly showed a May 1st available effective date, instead of June 1st. And, likewise, we were able to apply for the desired plan at BCBSIL.com, complete with subsidy, for a May 1st effective date without a hitch.
ac

 

[Ann H]

Thank you for that alert, Allen!